John f



(No Model.) 2 sheets-sheen 1.

` GIMME.

GAR FENDER.

No. 545,524I`v vf Patented sept. 17, 1895.

A TTUHNE YS.

ANDREW EGMIMM.PHUfO-UllU-WASINGTOMMC.

(No Mael.) 2 sheets-sheet 2.

J. P. GIRTLER.

V GAR FENDER. No. 546,524. Patented Sept. 17, 1895.

A TTUHNE YS.

ANDREW EBRAKAM. PHUTO-LITHQWAS HINGTUNJIC.

NITE-D l STATES ATENT Frise.

JOHN F. GIRTLER, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND GASTON E. OONSTANTIN, ADOLF GLAUS, AND FRIEDRICH HENEMANN,

OF S AME PLACE.

CAR-FENDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 546,524, dated September 17, 1895. Application filed .Tune 5, 1895. Serial No. 551,767. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern,-

Beit known that I, JOHN F. GIRTLER, a subject of the Emperor of Austria-Hungary,- at present residing in Brooklyn, inthe county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Oar-Fender, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved car-fenderso constructed as to be conveniently attachable to any car and adapted to be folded up when not in use, the fender being arrangedto safely pick up a person or obstruction and retain it on the fender.

The invention consists of a platform, a pivoted spring-pressed guard-rail, and a locking device held on the platform and adapted to lock and release the said guard-rail after a person or obstruction has passed upon the platform.

The invention also consists of certain parts and details and combinations of the same, as will be fully described hereinafter, and then pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures.

Figure lis a side elevation of the improvement as applied. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, with'parts broken out. Fig. 3 is a front view of the improvement. Fig. 4 is a sectional side elevation of the same on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 5 is an enlaged sectional side elevation of the catch for holding the fender in place on thedashboard.

The improved car-fender is provided with a suitably constructed frame A, disposed vertically and provided at its upper end with eyes A', adapted to engage hooks B', projecting from the upper end of the dashboard B of the car C. The lower end of the frame A abuts against the end sill C of the said car, and on the frame is arranged ya spring-catch A2, adapted to engage an aperture B2 in the dashboard B, so as to securely hold the frame A in position on the front end of the car.

On the extreme lower end of the frame A is arranged a transverse pivot-bar D, on which is fulorumed the platform E, extending forwardly and downwardly, as plainly illus-1 trated in Figs. l and 4, the said platform being normally, held in this` position by suitable chains F, extending upwardly from the side bars of the said platform to the side posts of the frame A.

On the extreme forward end of the platform E is arranged aA transverse bar E', on which is pivoted a plate G, extending downwardly and rearwardly to support at its rear end a series of small rollers G', adapted to come in contact with the track as the car is in motion and bumpsy up andv down. The rear end of the plate G is provided with forwardly-extending arms G2, loosely engaging staples E2, attached to the under side of the platform E, so that the said plate is supported from the platform and is free to swing thereon to yield sufliciently when passing over ordinary lixtures on the track.

On the front end of the platform E and somewhat in the rear of the bar E is arranged a tripping-plate H, fulcrumed at H on the top of the platform E, slightly in the rear of the bar E. This tripping-plate H is held normally in a vertical position by the action of one or a series of springs l, attached to the platform E. On thefront end of the said tripping-plate and near the bottom thereof is arranged aforwardly and downwardly extending hook H2, passing over the middle bar J of a guardrail J, having its sides pivotally connected with the pivot-bar D, on which the platform E is hung. Springs K connect the side arms of the guard-rail J with the frame A, so that whenever the tripping-plate H is swung rearwardly and the hook H2 disengages the said bar J then the guard-rail J swings upward into the position shown in Fig. 4 by the action of thesprings K.

Now it will be seen that when the several parts are in the position illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 then the fender in striking a person or obstruction on the track causes it to strike the tripping-plate H, so that the latter swings rearwardly at the time the person falls upon the platform, and consequentlyfthe guard-rail J is released and swings upv into its uppermost position by the action of the springs K to hold the person safely in place on the fender.

IOO

In order to prevent aperson from sliding off the rear end of the platform E,I provide the latter with a back E3, which, like the body of the frame, is preferably made of wire-netting, but other suitable material may be substr tuted.

In order to guard against injury by a person being struck by a rapidly-moving car and at the time the person falls upon the platform, I provide the frame A with a yielding back L, extending from one side of the frame A to the other and preferably made of wire-netting attached to springs secured to the platform. This back L is curved outward, as plainly shown in Fig. 2, so as to yield sufficiently when struck by a person or other obstruction to prevent concussion and consequent injury of the object thus struck.

It will be seen that by the arrangement described the entire fender can be readily attached to or disconnected from the car C, or, if desired, the said fender can be readily swung upward to be folded upon the frame A whenever desired.

Having thus desc:ibed my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. A car fender, comprising a platform, a spring-actuated guard rail arranged when released to stand in a raised position, a tripping plate secured loosely at its lower end to said platform with its upper end extending above the same and provided with a hook arranged to engage said guard rail and hold the same normally in a lowered position, said tripping plate being arranged to be1 moved backward on contact with an obstruction on the track to disengage said hook from the guard rail, substantially as specified.

2. A car fender, comprising a frame adapted to be hooked to a support on the car, a platform fulcrumed on the lower end of the said frame and extending forwardly and downwardly, and a plate pivoted on the front end of the said platform and extending downwardly and rearwardly under the said platform and carrying rollers at its rear end, substantially as shown and described.

3. A car fender, comprising a frame adapted to be hooked to a support on the car, a platform fulcrumed on the lower end of the said frame and extending forwardly and downwardly, a plate pivoted on the front end of the said platform and extending downwardly and rearwardly under the said platform, and carrying rollers at its rear end, and arms projecting from the said plate and engaging staples on the said frame, substantially as shown and described.

4. A car fender, comprising a frame adapted to be hung on a support on the car, a platform pivoted on thelower end of the said frame, a tripping plate on the front end of the said platform and normally extending vertically, the said platform being spring-pressed and provided with a hook, and a guard rail pivoted on the said platform and extending on the sides thereof and across the front, the front end of the said guard rail being normally engaged by the said hook, substantially as shown and described.

5. A car fender comprising a platform, a guard rail pivotallyconnectedthereto,aspring connected to the guard rail and adapted to hold the same in operative position, a tripping plate pivotally mounted on the forward part of the platform and provided with means for holding it normally in an elevated position, and a hoek projecting from the forward side of said tripping plate, the guard rail when in a lowered and operative position being adapted to fold down in front of said tripping plate in position to be engaged by the hook thereon, substantially as set forth.

6. A car fender comprising a platform, a guard rail pivotally connected to the rear part thereof and having its end portions bent upward at their central parts, springs connected at their lower ends to the upwardly bent central portions of the said guard rail and adapted to raise the same into operative position, a tripping plate pivoted at the front edge of the platform, a spring arranged to bear against the rear side of the tripping plate to hold the same normally in a raised position, and a hook carried on the front side of the tripping plate to engage the transverse front part of the guard rail when the same is in alowered and operative position, substantially as set forth.

JOHN F. GIRTLER. Witnesses:

THEO. G. HosTER, C. SEDGWICK. 

